Love Turned Cold

Chapter 1

A gentle summer breeze blew through the windows and doors of the palace, sending a sweet smell of calm through the air. Reaching the nose of a now-retired Queen Anna, sitting at her desk, writing a letter to her sister. She perked up feeling the breeze wrap around her arms like a loving hug.

"Hey, Gale!" The retired queen greeted the unseen force, "how're Elsa and Conrad doing? Oh! What about Jonis, and what was it... Soleil?" Gale fluttered up the woman's bangs in response, garnering a chuckle from her. With that, she sent the finished letter on its way. Standing from her desk, the door to the study opened, revealing her now-adult niece, Kjerstin. Anna perked up seeing her walk in.

"Kjerstin!" The princess smiled and hugged her aunt. "I just sent a letter off to your mother with all the details about the coronation for you and Robert. Everything is underway." The princess beamed hearing her fiancés name from her aunt's mouth. In a similar fashion to her father, Kjerstin excitedly rolled back and forth on her feet.

"Ah, Robert is so excited about this!" Anna smiled.

"I remember feeling the same excitement when your mother was coronated. It was a fun day, despite how chaotic it turned out." Kjerstin chuckled, she always admired how her aunt always saw a bright side to things. With the head of the castle, Kai having passed, it was a little different. The new head was his nephew, who ran everything just as efficiently, but it wasn't the same.

Meanwhile, to the north, just beyond the Northuldra encampment, a couple were overlooking the forest from a cliff, a perfect view of the valley. Summer was always breathtaking in the enchanted forest. Elsa took a deep breath, the wind blowing through her platinum blonde hair. Beside her, her husband, Conrad, was enjoying the view, perhaps not the one his wife was enjoying.

She caught his glance and playfully nudged him. He smiled and gave her a soft kiss on the cheek. It'd been over 20 years since the forest was freed, and Conrad was enjoying every moment having raised two children with the Snow Queen, and watching her interact with the elements of nature. Gale, the wind, who had a bond with Anna and Elsa's mother. The fierce Nokk, the little fire spirit, Bruni, who followed Elsa wherever she went, and the giants, who lumbered around away from the humans.

A strong gust of wind blew past the couple, holding a delicately folded letter, dropping it on Elsa's lap.

"Hm?" She looked down and grinned broadly, knowing who it was from. She opened it and read it aloud.

"Elsa and Conrad, all the final coronation preparations are underway. We have received responses from Oliver, and Signe. The diplomats and nobles will be here tomorrow, as according to schedule. And Hans will be arriving the day after. Be sure to inform Honeymaren, Ryder, and Soleil, and I'm sure Kjerstin would love for them to be here. She and Robert are ecstatic to see you both again, as are Kristoff and I. Love you sis, see you soon."

Elsa closed the letter and smiled. She stood, and held out her hand to Conrad.

"Ready to see our daughter and son in law get coronated together?" Conrad took her hand and sighed.

"Ready as I'll ever be." He gave her a sad smile, Elsa understood what it meant. She looked up at him and placed a hand on his cheek, stroking his cheekbone with her thumb. Watching their daughter grow up so fast, it had been a lot. Her powers were even stronger than they predicted, and all those years of training both her and her brother had been tiring, but worth it in every way.

Their son, Jønis, had become quite independent, ever since he met Ryder and Honeymaren's niece, Soleil. The young woman was, unexpectedly, a fire wielder. Her coming back to the enchanted forest had led to an accidental confrontation between Elsa, Jønis, and the young woman. There was a lot of family history to be understood, but soon, Elsa and Conrad grew to love her as their own.

Soleil was 2 years older than Jønis, so obviously she was more mature than him. They would frequently mess around with each other and each other's powers, enjoying how the opposing elements reacted to each other. Bruni became attached to Soleil. When the salamander wasn't with Elsa, he could be found perched on Soleil's shoulder.

With the letter in hand, the couple made their way back to camp where they found Ryder, Honeymaren, Jønis, and Soleil talking together. Jønis heard his parents approach first and grinned seeing them

"Mom! Dad!" Elsa gave her son a kiss on the cheek and turned to the others.

"Anna sent me a letter, informing me the final preparations for the coronation are underway." Honeymaren smiled at her friend.

"When are you leaving?" Elsa smiled back.

"All, of us will be leaving first light tomorrow." Ryder and Honeymaren blinked in surprise.

"Us, too?" Conrad nodded.

"Yes, we would love for both of you to come with us. You're part of the family, so you should be there, too." The Northuldra siblings grinned at each other.

"We'd be honored." Elsa chuckled.

"It's settled. Everyone, pack your things, we'll leave by morning." The five went to pack, but Elsa stayed behind for a moment, turning around to face the sunset in the distance. The sunset cast a beautiful golden and pinkish glow over the valley.

She took in another deep breath of the cool summer breeze, Gale swirling around her, fluffing up her hair.

"I know Gale. Time certainly does fly by..." With her 24-year-old daughter getting crowned in a few days, it really made Elsa think back.

22 years since the forest was freed. Kjerstin was only 2 at the time, almost 3. It was maybe half a year later when Elsa discovered she was pregnant again. She and Conrad were ecstatic, and once again, Elsa had the suspicion her second child would wield her powers too.

She gave birth in the Northuldra camp. Yalena was there of course, as was Honeymaren, and a few other Northuldra women Elsa had become good friends with. Anna naturally was there as well. And the moment Jønis came into the world, was when time slowed down. She had a son, who by initial appearances alone, would take after his father.

Watching Kjerstin and Jønis grow up with a true gift. With both children blessed with their mother's powers. It'd never been seen before, and Yalena remarked that both of them were gifts from the spirits, just like Elsa was.

It soon became apparent though, that Jønis's powers were a little less powerful than his sister's. They didn't have the same level of strength. The distribution of power was unequal, and Elsa remembered Jønis and Kjerstin fighting over it when they were children. They soon got over it, though. Jønis shifted his focus on helping his parents guard and take care of the forest, developing a close bond with Ryder and Honeymaren.

Kjerstin, on the other hand, shifted her focus to eventually becoming queen after Anna had retired. Elsa and Anna had discussed this before Elsa moved north.

"Elsa, I need to ask you something important." Anna pulled her sister aside in the castle as Elsa was getting ready to leave.

"What is it, Anna?" The sisters took a seat on Elsa and Conrad's bed.

"Kjerstin is your firstborn... and you're passing the crown onto me. What should be done with Kjerstin's inheritance?" Elsa realized she never thought of that. She paused and took a moment to think.

"She'll take the crown after you. She can be your next in line. And when you and Kristoff have children, they'll be next in line after her. You, Kjerstin, and any children of yours and Kristoff's." Anna agreed it was the best option, and they both presented it to their council and advisors.

Something like this had never happened in Arendelle, so this was a historic first. But everyone agreed that making Kjerstin Anna's first heir would be best for Arendelle.

"When the princess turns 16, she will begin training and preparing to become queen."

And ever since Kjerstin turned 16, she would alternate her time in Arendelle and the forest. It'd been a lot to tackle, but she had support. And Elsa and Conrad believed in her, they knew that she'd make a great queen, just like the queens before her.

Elsa was ready.